So compare this: “I’m looking for a laundry proposal that is 7 years with new top load washers, rebuilt dryers, priced at $1.75 to wash and $1.50 to dry and with zero upfront money and the highest commission I can get.”To this: “I’m looking for the best deal I can get.”Which do you think gets a better deal? 

Not many are making those long commutes...http://demographia.com/db-90+commute.pdfor a news article w/ the highlights....https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/us/california-t...And if we look at the last downturn those making those super commutes fell even more when the jobs dried up...

Oh I forget. .. it's dry heat!

Two, buying on ROI, even if they have a decent house in a decent neighborhood, either they or their property management company cut corners and don't maintain the house properly and it starts to look "rental-ish" in a neighborhood with lots of owner-occupants.Three, they or their property management company fails to adequately screen tenants, resulting in a trashed property that the investor may not reinvest in to fix up to neighborhood standards, becoming a blot on the neighborhood.Four, the property management company may blatantly rip off the investor, pocketing the rent, the repair funds, and renting out the now crappy house to any derelict who can pay a few hundred dollars a month.Astute local investors don't usually make these mistakes. 

Do I need to have my mortgage completely paid and my cupboards stocked with canned and dry goods?

However, I understand that the market there tends to dry up in another month or so as sellers rent it themselves for another year if properties aren't sold by October-ish.

What other questions might I ask them as far as returns, or is it pretty cut and dried?  

I bought 55 homes they bought about 70  and we crushed it no doubt.. when that dried up they said we are going into MF and we have this deal in Memphis at 10k a door..  400k total..

We can also look at the Baltic Dry Index and see we are at lower values than much of 2020, when the global economy was shut down.

The market everywhere is super hot and competative, and my local market (Massachusetts) is kind of dry on deals, so I have attempted to connect in AZ, TN, NC, OH, FL, and a few other areas.